Monthly Archives: October 2008

CORQUIN, Copan.- En enormous dock that covered the channel of the Coyol river, forming an enormous water dam is sinking several communities in this remote region of Honduras.

The local authorities, the military and rescue organizations started to evacuate all the inhabitants from the communities of Suptal in Belen Guancho, Ocotepeque and Suptal in Corquin, Copan.

Thanks to this effort it was possible to save their lives since 78 houses where reduced to nothing because of an avalanche of over 10 acres of land that blocked the water channel of the Coyol River.

The 78 destroyed houses made the height of the block to increase and is now 700 meters high with the fall of over 10 tons of land.

The inhabitants from the communities of Potrerillos, El Pacayal, El Higueral, Las Mesitas and El Cobo have been evacuated to avoid further tragedies, a total of 433 persons are at the communal center shelter and the public school from this location, 13 other families we’re relocated to San Pedro, Copan.

The authorities fear the worst, since reports have been release over the radio that the dam formed in this area because of the rain is similar to El Cajon which is the main water dam and could collapse at any moment, this could cause floods to the communities near the Aruco and Cucuyagua River because they receive water from El Coyol river.

The natural phenomenon is under watch at all times by the authorities, and have declared a state of emergency for these locations.

Meanwhile, different organizations and institutions are doing marathons to help the victims who have lost their homes, their belongings, and their cultivations.

Members from COPECO visited the site to evaluate the damages and the danger on a helicopter since it is extremely difficult to get to this location since it would take a four hour walk to get there.

Meanwhile, in San Manuel de Colohete, Lempira, 22 homes had to be evacuated because of a geological failure.

The government declared a state of national emergency to mobilize and manage resources and make purchases to assist all the victims around the country, and to execute rescue work and repair the roads damaged by the rain that have already caused the death of at least 11 people, five missing and over 130 thousand other victims.

The president of Honduras has ordained all government rescue institutions to start their emergency procedures prioritizing rescue and evacuations of people in danger, locating and opening shelters, providing food, water and clothing the victims in need.

These are the measures the government of Honduras is taking:

• Declare a state of emergency nation wide to face the natural disasters affecting our country because of the tropical depression number 16 and other phenomenon that have endangered the lives of thousands of people, and affecting the roads infrastructure, homes and public services.

• The coordination of this emergency situation belongs to COPECO. And it is instructed to all other rescue institutions to coordinate their activities with COPECO.

• The president of Honduras as the chief of the Armed Forces has instructed them to continue supporting their prevention, rescue and victim attention activities as a priority mission.

• It has also been instructed for the Secretary o Security to take the corresponding measures to maintain the public order and look out for the safety and security of the people.

• The Fondo Vial and the Fondo de Inversion Social (FHIS) are to summon all of their volunteers from social and construction organizations from around the country, as well as municipalities and contractors to acquire the machinery to start habilitating the roads immediately.

• A call to all the local chambers of commerce, private businesses, churches and humanitarian associations in Honduras to make donation of food, blankets, mattresses, medication and anything else that could be of use to the victims.

• The government also instructs SETCO (International Cooperation Secretary) and the Secretary of Foreign Affair to immediately seek for the support and humanitarian aid from other countries.

• Authorized and lead municipalities to proceed to use the funds assigned to Poverty Reduction (ERP) for the assistance to all victims.

• COPECO is authorized to transfer an amount of 50 to 500 thousand lempira’s to municipalities where damages have been registered to purchase food, and emergency supplies according to the number of victims.

• Hondutel, SANAA, ENEE and other companies that offer public services are instructed to organize teams to rehabilitate the services that have been affected.

• The government will proceed to purchase part of the strategic basic grains reserve from the Honduran Institute of Agricultural Marketing (IHMA) for the distributions to the affected communities.

• The Secretary of Education is instructed to suspend classes in those areas under red alert. And prepare the school buildings to be used as shelters.

COPECO has declared red alert for the north region of Honduras because of the increase of the Ulua river caused by the heavy rains from these past few days due to the influence of two low pressure systems over the gulf of Honduras and southeast of El Salvador with intense rains, the emergency alert is active for 24 hours for Cortes, Atlantida and Yoro.

The towns in risk are Pimienta, Potrerillos, Villanueva, San Manuel, Choloma and Puerto Cortes in Cortes; Tela in Atlantida and El Progreso, Santa Rita and El Negrito in Yoro.

The last measuring of the Ulua River registered show the level of the river is ascending, which can cause overflow.

The Ulua River runs across the north-west region of Honduras, and could causing flood if the levels keep increasing. COPECO called the population living in the towns under red alert to avoid crossing the river and to remain alert at all times.

The rains over the Honduran territory will continue for at least 72 more hours due to the tropical depression number 16 in the Caribbean and the humidity generated by the normal rainy season.

The local authorities that there are still several communities that are flooded in Choluteca and Valle, meanwhile, in Comayagua, Copan and Lempira, landslides, damages to the highway and partial destruction of bridges have been registered.

In Tegucigalpa, the rains last night caused level increase of the rivers Choluteca and Grande, these rivers also received automatic discharge from Los Laureles and La Concepcion dams that distribute water to the Honduran capital.

Both dams are at their maximum capacity and when the rain surpasses its level, automatic discharges go to the Grande and Choluteca rivers.

Up until today, the number of deaths registered in Honduras because of the rains from the tropical depression is three and two missing persons. Floods and landslides have also been registered in the Honduran territory.

35,000 people have been affected in 12 of the 18 departments of Honduras because of the floods caused by rains that have also destroyed agriculture harvest, highways, bridges and homes in the past two weeks.